Top International Automibile Federation official
Charlie Whiting has described Maria de Villota's
crash as a "one in five million" freak
accident.

Whiting said: "It was so incredibly
unfortunate."

There have been suggestions that Marussia was at
fault for putting an inexperienced driver, who does
not have an FIA superlicence, at the wheel of a
powerful 2012 single-seater.

'Incredibly bad luck'

The fact that a truck was parked nearby with its
tail lift positioned at visor height has also
raised questions about negligence.

Whiting said: "I think that if Felipe (Massa)'s
accident (in 2009) was one in a million, then
Maria's was one in five million. The circumstances
were just so unique that it was just incredibly bad
luck."

Whiting said that, even at the time of Villota's
incident, the FIA was already looking at ways to
better protect a driver's head.

"With the kind of protection we are studying, an
accident like that would be unlikely, but also the
chances of repeating these same circumstances are
so remote," he said. "We're looking more at the
case of an impact with a wheel, because this can
happen several times in a year.

"Maria's circumstances may never occur
again."

Referring again to protection studies, he
continued: "We can only do it as fast as we can,
because it's a very complicated matter. In Maria's
case, yes it (head protection with hoops) would
have worked, but perhaps in many other cases the
problems would be worse, like extraction or
visibility.

"We have to make sure we aren't making something
better for one type of accident but worse for three
more."

Villota Awake

The Kolner Express said members of the Marussia
team have been banned from talking about the
Villota incident.

Peter Sauber was quoted as saying: "I know as
much as you do - or even less."

De Villota required two operations at Addendrooke's
Hospital in Cambridge in the wake of a crash at
Duxford Airfield that saw the 32-year-old Spaniard
run into the tailgate of a stationary service
vehicle at the end of an installation run whilst
conducting a straightline aero test.

She was admitted to Madrid's La Paz hospital
last week and has since undergone plastic surgery,
and a statement from the hospital released on her
behalf revealed she has not suffered any
neurological injuries.

"The patient is in good general condition, so
she was discharged from hospital yesterday," the
statement read.

"In these six days, she has been treated by
specialists of the plastic and neurological surgery
services, and the ophthalmology department, who
will continue to follow her, as she will need to
undergo periodical checks and treatments.

"As announced previously, the patient has lost
her right eye, as a consequence of the serious
trauma suffered, and she will be closely followed
by the ophthalmology service.

Marussia, the Formula One team of Spanish race car
driver Maria de Villota, is reporting that its
32-year-old driver has lost her right eye and
remains hospitalized following a bizarre accident
at a test event earlier this week. Teammates have
described her condition as critical but stable.

After joining the team in March, De Villota was
behind the wheel of the team's racing car for the
first time on Tuesday, conducting straight-line
test runs at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire,
north of London. The Spaniard apparently crashed
into a team vehicle (reported as racecar transport
truck) at the end of a run at low speeds, but her
head took the brunt of the impact - explaining the
serious injuries to her head and face.

Maria de Villota insists there are real
possibilities she will be a regular in the
Formula One paddock next year.

The 31-year-old Spanish female driver tested a
2009 Renault at Paul Ricard in August, and earlier
this month she re-appeared in the car during the
World Series race weekend at Barcelona.

She told the Spanish news agency Europa Press
that she is getting closer to securing
a job in Formula One for 2012.

The first test we did in August went so
well that it helped to accelerate more
possibilities, said de Villota.

She said her short-term objective is to be
in Formula One in 2012.

De Villota, the daughter of former F1 driver
Emilio de Villota, said her Superleague races
alongside former F1 drivers Antonio Pizzonia and
Enrique Bernoldi had convinced her she is capable
of contesting Grands Prix.

While I have great respect for them, I do
not see an uneven playing field, she
said.

Physically  yes I know  I have
to work harder, but as an athlete and a driver I
feel that with proper training and with the
experience that I need, I think I can do it very
well.